The present invention relates to an atmosphere treatment device that can be used to treat, clean, and sterilize replacement atmosphere entering or exiting a container as liquid is drawn off or added to the container. In particular, the present atmosphere treatment device is very useful in public water systems where water is stored in a container and replacement air entering the container as water is dispensed may cause contamination of the water remaining in the container. However, the present invention is not believed to be limited to just this single area, as will be apparent from the following discussion.
Many different water systems using rigid containers are used by the public for drinking water, such as municipal water towers, five-gallon bottled water delivered at regular intervals, and bulk water delivered into rigid storage containers stored at on-site locations. The water in these containers are at risk for contamination by air-borne contaminants because untreated ambient air replaces the liquid as the liquid is removed from the respective containers. The air-borne contaminants can include dirt, dust, mold, algae, germs, bacteria, chemicals, and other organic and inorganic matter that are potentially harmful and/or that detract from the taste and healthiness of drinking water.
Even state-approved systems and filtered water delivery systems have this problem. For example, state-approved bulk drinking water is delivered by tank trucks, then pumped into smaller vented tanks at the customer""s site where it is used as an alternative source of drinking water. Several Californian companies in the water-delivery business use 5-micron filters to reduce dust and dirt in their systems. However, they still have a problem with algae, because algae particles find their way past or through the filtering system. There are several ways that this can occur. Algae spores can potentially be carried by air moisture as air flows through the filters, such that the filters are not effective at filtering out the algae. Where a filter is used as a breather, any contact from over-filling or expansion of liquid in the container tanks can potentially be sucked back into the drinking water, where it contaminates the contents of the tanks. Some tanks have a cover that is removed for filling, which compromises a quality of the water in the tank by permitting a direct open access for ambient air and airborne contaminants to enter into the tank. Even though the open access is temporary, it only takes a single particle, spore, seed, or germ to initiate a growing active contamination problem.
Advancements in pollution-detecting equipment and scientific knowledge have uncovered many health issues with chemicals and bacteria in the water we drink and the air we breathe. This has created a huge industry that deals with treated and filtered water and air, with filters being provided for removing suspended particles and chemicals and for treating bacteria and algae. Often, ozone, chlorine, ultra-violet light, and distillation are used to address the bacteria problems in drinking water. However, these treatments are potentially a safety hazard in concentrated forms, are expensive and difficult to reliably dispense in accurate and safe ranges, and are difficult to uniformly and widely disperse into drinking water. Further, they can cause undesirable side effects in certain percentages of the human population, and/or can cause poor taste, odors, and other problems.
It is believed that the ability to treat water and keep it in sealed sanitary containers is a preferred method for protecting water quality. However, because of cost, convenience, and/or the lack of an effective alternative method, many liquid products are stored in rigid tanks. Rigid containers that dispense liquid by use of gravity or pumps rely on the flow of untreated ambient replacement air to prevent vacuum from developing that would stop and/or slow restrict outflow of liquid. For example, municipalities often use large water towers to store drinking water. Attached to a top of the towers is usually a 10-inch or 12 inch vent pipe in the shape of an upside down U-section. One end of the U-section is connected to the interior of the tower and the other end is open to ambient air with a 1 inch or xc2xd inch screen mesh over the end. Replacement air unfortunately carries unnecessary airborne pollutants inside the tower where they are absorbed into the water or where they float on top of the water. By removing as many pollutants as possible from the replacement air, the need for chlorine and anti-algae and anti-bacteria agents can be substantially reduced. However, to date, known systems have not been as effective as desired for reasons discussed above and below.
It is noted that, in the State of Michigan, municipal water suppliers are required to maintain a residual of 0.2 ppl chlorine disinfectant in potable water. Chlorine seems to be the disinfectant of choice, but it has some problems that cannot or should not be ignored. For example, organic debris found in surface water when treated with chlorine creates carcinogens. Further, any additional unnecessary pollutants that enter the water require additional chlorine to maintain the residual level of 0.2 ppl. Still further, to maintain a 0.2 ppl residual for the end user, the chlorine added to the water is excessive at the point of treatment, since the chlorine dissipates over distance.
In another example, the carbonated beverage industry uses ambient air tanks for storing liquid sugar. It is difficult to control mold and bacteria in these tanks.
In another example, the milk industry uses ambient air tanks on all milk house holding tanks, all milk delivery trucks and on some of the milk processing tanks. It is difficult to control airborne bacteria in these tanks, and difficult to meet USDA standards for purity and cleanliness.
The medical field has serious problems with several strains of antibiotic-resistant staff infection, such as may occur in medical treatment centers and in hospitals. Staff bacteria are an airborne bacterium that comes from the nose and throat of carriers and spreads easily. Storage containers in the medical field that use ambient replacement air would benefit greatly from a reliable, low-cost safeguard against airborne contamination.
It is also noted that certain medicines and chemicals react with plastic and need to be stored in rigid non-plastic containers. By using a valve assembly connected to the tank port on an open-air rigid container, the non-plastic container would be hermetically sealed. However, the valve assembly must relieve pressure in the container to prevent high pressures and/or vacuums from developing in the container that cause problems with liquid flow into and out of the container. The existing filters and disinfectants do not adequately nor satisfactorily solve this high/low pressure problem.
Therefore, there is a real need for hermetically sealing vented storage containers to allow for removing liquid therein, while protecting remaining uncontaminated liquid from contaminated replacement ambient atmospheric air. Further, an apparatus is desired that is cost-effective, efficient, relatively simple in its operation and construction, and that utilizes known materials and technology and low cost materials to accomplish significant improvements in the quality of water and other liquids.
In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for treating replacement atmosphere for hermetically sealed containers adapted to hold and dispense uncontaminated liquids sensitive to contamination. The apparatus includes a valving system having a container port adapted for connection to a sealed container, and having an intake port with an intake check valve configured to permit replacement atmosphere to be drawn to the container port for passing into the sealed container but to prevent backflow through the intake port. A bubbler includes a reservoir partially filled with a treatment liquid, the treatment liquid being chosen to treat replacement atmosphere drawn through the treatment liquid into the sealed container. The bubbler also includes an intake tube opening into the reservoir at a location below the normal level of the treatment liquid. A float valve is operably connected between the reservoir and the intake check valve to prevent the treatment liquid from flowing from the reservoir to the intake check valve but to permit flow of replacement atmosphere from the reservoir through the intake check valve to the container port.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for treating replacement atmosphere for a sealed container, where the apparatus includes a valving system and a bubbler. The valving system includes a container port adapted for connection to the sealed container, and is configured to permit venting of existing atmosphere from the sealed container if the existing atmosphere of the sealed container experiences an unacceptable positive relative pressure, but is configured to permit replacement atmosphere to be drawn into the sealed container when the existing atmosphere of the sealed container experiences an unacceptable negative relative pressure. The bubbler is operably connected to the valving system and includes a reservoir partially filled with a treatment liquid chosen to treat the replacement atmosphere. The bubbler has a top portion located above the treatment liquid and a bottom below a normal level of the treatment liquid. The bubbler includes a particle filter adapted to receive replacement atmosphere from a source of the replacement atmosphere and a tube leading from the particle filter into the bottom of the reservoir for bubbling the replacement atmosphere up through the treatment liquid for treating the replacement atmosphere prior to introduction into the sealed container.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for holding uncontaminated liquid in bulk and for dispensing the liquid in a public forum, such as in municipal water systems, businesses, restaurants, factories, food service organizations, hospitals and medical treatment facilities, dairy farms, and other high-demand environments where continued purity and healthiness of the liquid is important for maintaining public health. The apparatus includes a hermetically sealed container for holding liquid in bulk, the sealed container having a closeable outlet for dispensing the liquid incrementally, and further including an intake port for supplying replacement atmosphere as the liquid within the sealed container is drawn off. An atmosphere replacement system is connected to the intake port. The atmosphere replacement system includes a bubbler at least partially filled with treatment liquid and an atmosphere intake system operably connected to the bubbler for passing replacement atmosphere through the treatment liquid prior to feeding the replacement atmosphere into the sealed container.
In another aspect of the present invention, a storage system for receiving, storing and dispensing sanitary uncontaminated liquid includes a receiving valve for the transfer of new uncontaminated liquid into the storage system, and a storage tank communicating with the receiving valve for receiving and storing the uncontaminated liquid. The storage tank includes an existing atmosphere that, with the uncontaminated liquid in the storage tank, fills a volume of the storage tank. A valve assembly communicates with the storage tank, and includes a first check valve having a first valve seat and first valve which only allows treated replacement atmosphere to enter the storage tank, and a second check valve having a valve closure in communication with the first check valve. The second check valve only allows existing atmosphere to flow out of the storage tank. An atmosphere treatment device includes a bubbler chamber for receiving and treating replacement atmosphere to be communicated to the storage tank, with the bubbler chamber being operably connected to the valving system.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method comprises steps of providing a hermetically sealed container holding an uncontaminated liquid sufficient in volume for incremental dispensing as part of a bulk distribution system. The method further includes dispensing the uncontaminated liquid incrementally from the sealed container to a public group of users, where continued purity and healthiness of the uncontaminated liquid remaining in the sealed container is important for maintaining public health. The method still further includes, when dispensing the uncontaminated liquid, simultaneously filling the sealed container with replacement atmosphere, including passing the replacement atmosphere through a bubbler at least partially filled with a treatment liquid, whereby the replacement atmosphere is treated by the treatment liquid prior to feeding the replacement atmosphere into the sealed container.
In still another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for holding a contaminated liquid in bulk, where pretreatment of atmosphere being expelled is desired as the apparatus is being filled with new amounts of the contaminated liquid, where such pretreatment is desired in order to maintain public health. The apparatus includes a hermetically sealed container for holding contaminated liquid in bulk, and an atmosphere treatment system. The sealed container has a closeable outlet for dispensing the liquid, and includes an exhaust port for emitting atmosphere from the sealed container as new contaminated liquid is added to the sealed container. The atmosphere treatment system is connected to the intake port, and includes a bubbler at least partially filled with a treatment liquid. The exhaust port is operably connected to the bubbler for passing the atmosphere through the treatment liquid prior to releasing the atmosphere to an ambient area.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a purifying system for replacement atmosphere being added to replace liquid removed from a container in order to better maintain and keep pure the uncontaminated liquid remaining in the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, mechanically non-complex air purifying system with valving for controlled airflow.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the quality of replacement atmosphere being added to tanks, but to do so with a device that is able to handle the frequent expansion and contraction that occurs, both due to filling and dispensing of liquid in the tank, and also due to thermal heating and cooling that naturally occurs from ambient and environmental temperature changes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system adaptable to a wide variety of different external environments outside the container and internal environments within the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system adaptable to a wide variety of different uncontaminated liquids and related needs, such as sterility, taste, odor, color, chemical-related needs, biological-related needs, human-preference requirements, and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system where a wide variety of different treatment liquids can be used, including ones designed to control algae, mold, mildew, chemical-related and pollution-related items, insect and debris-related items, and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that, with minimal maintenance and inspection, is highly and reliably effective over a long period of time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system that is readily and easily repairable in the field and when in service, without compromising the container to which it is attached.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.